Automatic bleed-valve.



G. S. SMITH.

y AUTOMATIC BLEBD VALVE. APPLICATION FILED Am. 16, 1912. i

. Patented June 9, 1914-.

narran sTATissA PATENT ormoni.

CHARLES S. SMITH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THRD T0 DAVID P. BLOOM, 0F QHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BLEED-VALVE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 9, 1914.

Application led April 16, 1912. Serial No. 691,1?1.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefui improvements in Automatic Bleed- Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in bleed valves for auxiliary air reservoirs, such as commonly used in air brake systems for railway rolling stock. In the present invention, it is sought to provide a valve which, when actuated, will permit the complete discharge of air from an auxiliary reservoir, and which will remain in open position until the air compression therein is substantially exhausted; to provide a valve which will automatically close itself when such a discharge of air froml the reservoir has been effected; to arrange and constructv such a bleed valve which will be positively actuated with the movement of the brake piston, thereby obviating complication in connections, etc.

It is further sought to devise a type of valve which is adapted particularly to fulfil the requirements of an air brake bleed valve.

The inventionfurther consists in the features` of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

1n the air brake systems now generally in use upon railway cars and particularly upon freight cars, it is necessary to make provision for exhausting the air compression in `the auxiliary reservoirs to enable the cars to be readily switched about after a train is broken up, otherwise the brakes would remain applied under the pressure from the auxiliary reservoirs. To permit of `this pressure exhaustingl operation being attended.' to expeditiously, the means provided upon each car, when operated by train men` should not require their continued presence until the air has completely escaped, but should, when actuated, allow the escape of such air to continue automatically until the brakes are released. The means provided should also automatically effect a. cutting off of the communication so established between the auxiliary reservoir and the atmosphere when the air pressure has been relieved to allow the train pipe to be recharged immediatelyupon restablishing air connections with a locomotive or other suitable source. A bleed valve embodying the above prinoiples of operation constitutes the subject verse section through the valve.'

There is represented in Fig. 1 of the drawing one end of an auxiliary reservoir 6 arranged adjacent to a brake cylinder 7 of usual type, the piston plunger of 'which is provided upon its outer end with a flange or collar 8 which normally assumes a position in proximity to the outer end of the brake cylinder. A pipe connection 9 leads from the auxiliary reservoir to a bleed valve l() to provide a means by which the air pressure wit-hin the reservoir may be allowed to escape to the outside atmosphere.

The bleed'valve 10 comprises essentially three principal parts, viz., the valve member 11, the actuating member 12, and the locking member 13. The valve member 11 is normally held as by tension means 14 affainst a valve seat 15 to prevent an escape o air thereby to the outside atmosphere as through a port 16. Means for unseating the valve member are provided in the actuating rocker member 12, the curved engaging surface 17 vof which normally rests upon the head of the valve member. To further fix the position of the actuating member, and

.to provide pivotal centers upon which it may be rocked, pins 18 are positioned in the upper part of the valve body engaging in cutaway or notched portions 19 of the actuating member, as best shown in Figs. i and 5. The actuating member` is adapted to be rocked transversely with respect yto the valve body and to either side thereof, movement in either direction bringing the vcurved surface 17 into engagement with the head of the valve member 11 to unseat the same. (See F ig. 5.) That the actuating rocker member may, when moved to open the valve, be maintained in such position, arms 2OA are provided between which a segmental arm 21 is carried, the said segmental arm being provided with a relatively raised portion 22 near its centerl by reason of the adjacent portions 23 being recessed or cut-away to provide shoulders 24. The locking member which is pivotally mounted, as at 25, is adapted to bear its finger end 26 in engagement with the segmental arm of the actuating member, asby means of the tension 4means 27, but is normally prevented from assuming such engaging position by reason of the collar 8 on the piston plunger engaging with the acting end 2S of the locking member to effect a retraction of the finger end thereof. When, however, the said plunger is advanced to apply the brakes, the locking member will swing outwardly until Vits finger end contacts with the raised portion of the segmental arm, and if the said segmental arm be moved through rocking movement of the actuating member the said finger end will engage in one of the recessed or cut-away portions 23. In such position, the shoulder 24 will abut against the finger end to prevent the return ofthe actuating member to its normal position, and 1t is only when the said finger end has been retracted as when the air which tends to maintain the plunger in advanced position has been permitted toescape from the auxiliary reservoir, and the plunger to return and retract the said locking member, that the actuating member can swing back to close the valve.

Under normal conditions of usage2when the train pipe is charged with 0211i', the plunger may advance or recede within the cylinder without in any way effecting an operation of' the bleed valve. It is only when the train is broken and the auxiliary reservoirs remain charged with air that the bleed valve is used to release the brakes. The end of the plunger would, under such conditions, be advanced away from the locking member of the valve, so that, when the actuating rocker arm is moved by a train man, the valve will necessarily be open and held in such position because of the fact that the locking member is free to swing into engagement with the shoulder portion 24 as soon as the actuating arm is moved. Discharge of air from the reservoir can then take place without further attention, the plunger receding into the cylinder as the air pressure is reduced. When the brakes are released by complete retraction ofthe plunger, the locking arm will have been engaged by the flange or collar 8 to withdraw its finger end from the recessed portion -of the segmental arm, thereby permitting the tension means within the valve tov bring about the return of the actuating larm to its normal position. The bleeding operation is thus seen to be automatic in that it is necessary only to initiate the discharge of` air to bring about complete exhaustion of the pressure within the auxiliary reservoir, and thereafter to effect a closure of communication therefrom to the outside air.

lVhenever it is desired furthermore to test the valve for any pressure within the auxiliary reservoir, the actuating member may be moved to open the valve which, by releasingthe air compression, if there be any, will enable the train man to detect from the sound of escapin air the presence of air pressure within t e reservoir. Such a test involves no liability of the air within the auxiliary reservoir being exhausted, since the finger end would normally be r'ctracted away from engagement with the segmental arm to permit closure of the bleed valve as soon as the test was completed.

It should be noted that the bleed valve described is positively controlled by the movement of the piston plunger. Such a construction avoids complication and multiplicity of parts. The valve of the present invention provides both for the exhaustion of air from the auxiliary reservoir upon merely initiating its discharge therefrom, and for the closure of the valve automatically upon the completion of the discharge of pressure from the auxiliary reservoir.

The use of any suitable elastic fluid under pressure is, of course, contemplated in the operation of the valve herein described, so that it is to be understood that other means than air are applicable to be used with my bleed valve.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a port communicating with an auxiliary reservoir, an exhaust port, a valve controlling communication between said ports, means for moving said valve to open position, and means controlled by the brake cylinder mechanism for maintaining said valve in open position and for automatically permitting its return to closed position, said means comprising a collar on the brake plun er, and a tension actuated locking mem er adapted with the discharge of pressure to be retracted thereby, said locking member being formed with an acting finger adapted with the actuation of the brake mechanism to engage with the valve opening means to prevent closure of said valve, and with the discharge of pressure to permit the return thereof to closed position, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a port communicating with an auxiliary reservoir, an exhaust port, a valve controlling communication between said ports, means for moving said valve to open position, said means comprising a rocking member and two pivotal members loosely engaging therewith, upon either one of which the said rocking member may swing to open said valve, and means controlled by the brake cylinder mechanism for maintaining 'said valve in open position and for automatically permitting its return' to closed position, said means comprising a collar on the brake .plunger and a tension actuated locking member adapted with the discharge of pressure to be retracted thereby, said locking member being formed with an acting finger adapted with the actuation of the brake mechanism to engage with the valve opening means to prevent closure of said valve, and with the discharge of pressure tol permit the return thereof to closed position, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, a port communicating with a pressure reservoir, an exhaust port, a valve controlling communication between said ports, means for moving said valve to open position, said means comprising a rockingl member and two pivotal members loosely engaging therewith, upon either one of which the said rocking member may swing to open said valve, said rocking member being provided with arms joined at their extremities by a connecting member, means for engaging with said connecting member when the said rocking mem ber is in swung position, whereby said valve is maintained in open position, and means operated by the brake cylinder mechanism for releasing the said engagement with the connecting member to permit the return of said valve to closed position, substantially as described.

4. Ina device of the class described, a port communicating with a pressure reservoir, an exhaust port, a valve controlling communication between said ports, means for moving said Valvel to open position, means for maintaining said valve in open position, comprising a swinging locking arm provided with an acting finger adapted to engage with the Valve opening means to hold the same in moved position, and a collar on the brake plunger adapted with the discharge of pressure to engage with the free end of said locking arm to retract the same, whereby the valve is permitted to return to closed position, substantially as described.

5. In a device of4 the class described, a port communicating with a pressure reservoir, an exhaust port, a valve controlling communication between said vports, means for moving said valve to open position, comprising a -rocling member and two pivotal members loosely engaging therewith, upon either one of which the said rocking member v may swing to open said valve, said rocking member being provided with arms joined at their extremities by a connecting member, means for maintaining said valve in open position comprising a swinging locking arm provided with an acting finger adapted to engage with said connecting arm to hold the rocking member in moved position, and a collar on the brake plunger adapted with the discharge of pressure to en age with the free end of said locking mem er to re; tract the same, whereby the valve is permitted to return to closed position, substantially as described.

CHARLES S. SMITH.

Witnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, THOMAS A. BANNING, J r. 

